Richard N. Velotta

Story Archive

Stratosphere parent company reports $9.4 million loss: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013; Las Vegas-based American Casino & Entertainment Properties LLC, operators of the Stratosphere and two Arizona Charlies properties in Las Vegas and the Aquarius in Laughlin, reported losing $9.4 million in the third quarter.
Will drones make Nevada's economy soar?: The state is in the running to be a national drone test site; Monday, Nov. 11, 2013; The Federal Aviation Administration is weeks away from announcing where it will test unmanned aerial systems — drones capable of flying in situations that are too dangerous or mundane for manned aircraft. Nevada is on the short list of 25 applicants from 24 states. Six test sites will be chosen, the next step to opening the nation’s airspace to civilian drones.
Greenspun Media Group makes switch to carbon-neutral paper for publications: Monday, Nov. 11, 2013; This month, the Greenspun Media Group’s Las Vegas Magazine, Las Vegas Weekly, Vegas2Go and VEGAS INC began printing on carbon-neutral stock known as Sage, manufactured by British Columbia-based Catalyst Paper.
Bags fly free, at least another year: Southwest Airlines CEO doesn’t rule out possibility of policy change in the future; Monday, Nov. 11, 2013; Is Southwest Airlines on the verge of breaking from past practice and following the pack to charge baggage fees?
Circus Circus' new roller coaster might be slow but it packs a thrill: Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013; To the seasoned roller coaster rider, it’s hard to beat the sensation of diving off a hill that falls straight down or turning a somersault in a soaring loop. But engineers of a thrill-ride company are about to take thrills to the next level with the El Loco.
Automatic lanes OK’d to secure terminal exits at Las Vegas airport: Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013; The Transportation Security Administration has approved McCarran International Airport’s use of automated exit lane corridors to prevent people from entering the secure portion of the terminals.
IGT earnings dip 29.5 percent in 4th quarter: Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013; Las Vegas-based IGT, the leading manufacturer of slot machines and casino game management systems, reported its fourth-quarter earnings Thursday.
2 Las Vegas taverns seek rebranding as Jackpot Joanie’s: Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013; The Nevada Gaming Control Board is recommending approval and licensing for new owners of the iconic John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks.
Pinnacle revenue soars after Ameristar acquisition: Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013; Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment, which owns 14 casinos and two racinos in nine states, including Cactus Pete’s and the Horseshu in Jackpot, reported its third-quarter earnings Wednesday. The company experienced a period of adjustment as it completed a $2.8 billion acquisition of Ameristar Casinos.
Cool new car products: De-icer brush, cooling seat cushion and hula Hello Kitty: Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013; You know the largest aftermarket car products shows are in town when you see show exhibitors wheeling tires through the casino floors.
Getting foreigners to explore our state: Company hopes to lure international tourists to Western cities for minivan adventures; Monday, Nov. 4, 2013; Tourism marketers for years have been hyping Las Vegas as an international destination and great hub for outdoor adventure. Now, a New Zealand company has arrived to capitalize on both.
MGM Resorts' Jim Murren on online poker, social media, competition and the Red Sox: Friday, Nov. 1, 2013; MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren was in a pretty good mood Thursday, even after his company reported a $31.9 million third-quarter loss. Find out why.
Las Vegas sees visitor numbers dip slightly: Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013; One fewer weekend day in September than last September translated into a 1.6 percent decline in visitation for the month, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said Thursday.
Lower spending in Midwest, South, downtown Las Vegas leads to loss for Boyd Gaming: Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013; Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming experienced an increase in net revenue in the Las Vegas locals market but still saw a loss of $37 million.
MGM Resorts loses $31.9 million in 3rd quarter: Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013; MGM Resorts International today reported a loss of $31.9 million for the third quarter, a significant improvement over the same quarter last year. Growth in cash flow and increased margins on the Strip and in Macau paced the company’s rebound.
Bally Technologies posts ninth consecutive quarter of profitability, sets quarterly records: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013; Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies saw increased revenue and record-setting sales and operations in its third quarter.
Spirit Airlines sees nearly 98 percent increase in earnings: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013; Mirimar, Fla.-based Spirit Airlines, the fastest growing domestic air carrier at McCarran International Airport last year, saw a 33 percent increase in revenue over the same quarter of last year and expects to continue its growth with new aircraft next year.
Helicopter tour operator files for bankruptcy: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013; A scenic helicopter tour operator — Heli USA Airways, based at McCarran — will continue to operate through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, a company attorney said today.
Caesars Entertainment reports 3rd-quarter loss of $761.4 million: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013; Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment, operator of Caesars Palace, Bally’s, Paris-Las Vegas, Harrah’s, the Flamingo and the Rio in Las Vegas as well as several properties around the country, reported its third-quarter earnings Tuesday.
Internet domain manager to set up shop on East Tropicana: Monday, Oct. 28, 2013; Registry operator xyz.com has acquired a 13,000-square-foot office on East Tropicana Avenue to become the hub for the new .xyz and .college Internet domain extensions.
It’s time to celebrate Nevada: Take a look around you and appreciate everything the state has going for it; Monday, Oct. 28, 2013; We were headed toward Alamo on the Great Basin Highway when my wife turned to me and said, “I really do love Nevada.”
Perfecting the art of mingling: 10 tips to become a better networker: Monday, Oct. 28, 2013; Most people think they know how to network. Find a gathering of people and meet as many as possible. Make the rounds with business cards in hand in search of new relationships that could lead to sales, jobs, partnerships or introductions. Those are certainly the basics, but effective networking skills need to be practiced and perfected.
Steve Wynn: Mass. casino regulators too eager to find corruption: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013; Wynn Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn spent much of his time during an earnings call today slamming Massachusetts gaming regulators, whom he said he worries are overzealous in their efforts to find corruption in the industry.
5 companies get extensions for online poker applications: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013; Five companies were granted extensions by the Nevada Gaming Commission today on their applications for interactive gaming licenses.
Passenger traffic at Las Vegas airport continues to take off: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013; Passenger counts at McCarran International Airport continued to inch upward at the end of 2013’s third quarter, with 3.5 million people using the airport in September, a 1.2 percent increase over the same month a year ago.
Flying in the lap of luxury: Take a tour of fabulous corporate jets: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013; Most trade shows fill convention centers with aisles of products. The National Business Aircraft Association goes much bigger. This week, it is displaying more than 50 corporate aircraft at the Henderson Executive Airport.
Southwest Airlines 3rd-quarter earnings of $241 million beat Wall Street expectations: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013; Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, the busiest commercial air carrier at McCarran International Airport, reported its third-quarter earnings Thursday.
Henderson's Frankenstein: Suburban man creates monsters, ghouls and creeps: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013; Things get pretty creepy around Tony Buttino’s house this time of year. While most people have Fords and Toyotas parked in their garages, Buttino has zombies and werewolves. After decades of meticulously creating home and yard displays, the retired Army veteran has discovered there's a market for his haunted handiwork.
Allegiant earnings up, despite grounding of planes: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013; Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co., parent company of Allegiant Air, the fifth-busiest commercial airline at McCarran International Airport, reported its third-quarter earnings Wednesday.
Christmas carols might be annoying in October, but they signal job opportunities for Nevada's unemployed: Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013; The Retail Association of Nevada expects retailers in the state to offer more than 6,000 seasonal jobs this year, which is good news for Nevada's unemployed.
Caesars Palace investigated over allegations of money laundering: Monday, Oct. 21, 2013; Caesars Palace is under federal investigation over allegations of money laundering, parent company Caesars Entertainment reported in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing today.
Future of tourism is at stake: Infrastructure in Las Vegas is in need of upgrading, and someone has to pay for it; Monday, Oct. 21, 2013; It's a critical topic for Las Vegas, which depends on a sturdy transportation infrastructure to deliver the visitors who look to the Entertainment Capital of the World for a good time.
How would proposed I-11 pass through Las Vegas? Here are possible routes: Friday, Oct. 18, 2013; Most of the talk about the Interstate 11 project has involved the route between Phoenix and Hoover Dam or the bypass of Boulder City. Thursday, talk shifted to how traffic would course through Las Vegas.
Macau is a winner for Las Vegas Sands, helping boost earnings by 80 percent: Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013; Macau led the way for increased earnings for Las Vegas Sands, which saw a drop in gaming revenue but an increase in occupancy and daily room rate.
That's baby stuff! Convention shows off latest innovations for parents: Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013; Thousands of baby products for parents and parents-to-be are on display this week at the ABC Kids Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
McCarran's Terminal 3 nets design firm an award: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013; Terminal 3 at McCarran International Airport opened to a big fanfare, and now it has been celebrated with an architecture award.
Enterprise offering Harley motorcycles for rent in Las Vegas: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013; Las Vegas is the test site of a pilot program by Enterprise Rent-a-Car to rent Harley Davidson motorcycles to the public. The St. Louis-based company announced the launch today of Motorcycle Rental by Enterprise at a new branch office at 4517 W. Flamingo Road, near Arville Street.
Allegiant gate move at Las Vegas airport to boost efficiency: Monday, Oct. 14, 2013; Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air’s arrivals and departures will be moving to a different terminal at McCarran International Airport beginning Tuesday.
The benefits — to the employee and the company — of working from home: People who are allowed to work from home often are happier, more productive and more loyal; Monday, Oct. 14, 2013; Julie Wilson, a medical management account executive at American Health Holding, is one of millions of Americans who telecommute. Working from nontraditional settings offers them flexibility that normal 9-to-5 gigs don’t. They communicate with the outside world via email, instant messaging and Skype and typically spend parts of their day dropping off spouses at work, going to the gym, picking up children from school or starting dinner, knowing they can always work late at “the office” to meet a deadline.
Congress has damaged tourism: Government shutdown hurts economy, makes us a laughingstock internationally; Monday, Oct. 14, 2013; A relative who lives back east flew to Southern California last week to visit her sister and take a drive to Joshua Tree National Park.
Low ad revenue forces Las Vegas television station to close: Friday, Oct. 11, 2013; The Greenspun Corporation’s small independent television station went off the air at midnight, citing a lack of advertising revenue as the reason for pulling the plug.
Consultant: Road, highway issues could become a problem for Las Vegas tourism: Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013; Traffic is getting worse in the resort corridor, and unless some of Southern Nevada’s road and highway problems are solved soon, tourists will start looking elsewhere for weekend getaways, a Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority transportation consultant warned.
Nevada Taxicab Authority keeps rates steady: Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013; Taxi rates will remain at current levels after the Nevada Taxicab Authority agreed today to stand pat in the board’s annual review of rates and medallion distributions.
Las Vegas likely figures prominently in Southwest's plans to fly south of the border: Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013; Las Vegas residents who are customers of the busiest commercial air carrier at McCarran — Southwest Airlines — will someday fly the airline south of the border to Mexico, Central America and possibly South America.
With key resort execs at table, UNLV stadium authority board kicks off discussions: Monday, Oct. 7, 2013; The 11 members of the new UNLV Campus Improvement Authority board of directors on Monday got their first look at the pile of work that lies ahead of them in the newest bid to build an on-campus football stadium.
Fly on the wall gets swatted away: What we won’t get to know might help the Las Vegas tourism industry tremendously; Monday, Oct. 7, 2013; I won’t get to write one of the stories I wanted to during the World Routes 2013 conference, which began Friday and runs through Tuesday.
An airport wish list: Which airlines could bring Las Vegas the most new tourists?: Friday, Oct. 4, 2013; Three thousand people are expected to arrive in Las Vegas this weekend to attend the four-day World Routes convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For McCarran International Airport, it’s a golden opportunity to entice airlines to develop routes that will bring more tourists to Las Vegas.
New airport director: Free cellphone lot and second airport south of Las Vegas still possible: Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013; McCarran International Airport is under new leadership at a time when domestic airlines are once again starting to make money. Airlines have crafted conservative growth strategies and hope to fill their flights to capacity with minimal financial outlay.
Las Vegas is on pace with last year's visitor volume: Monday, Sept. 30, 2013; Las Vegas visitor volume inched upward in August, bringing the total number of travelers to Southern Nevada nearly even with last year over eight months.
Southwest Airlines adds Las Vegas-Des Moines flights: Monday, Sept. 30, 2013; Southwest Airlines, the busiest commercial air carrier at McCarran International Airport, added its 58th destination to and from Las Vegas on Sunday with some Vegas flair — showgirls escorted passengers aboard their flight from Des Moines, Iowa.